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The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne

Tucked away in the heart of the beautiful village of Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union Canal is one of our treasured secrets, The Canal Museum. Originally set up in the 1960s, our museum was the first home for our designated collection of memorabilia, films and displays. Today, our free audio guide will take you on a journey through the stories and traditions of Britain's historic canals.

The village itself is full of little surprises – not least the towpath to the Blisworth Tunnel, where boaters used to 'leg' their boats through the narrow passage.

Here you'll find an idyllic picture of passing canal boats, thatched cottages, local wildlife and canalside pubs. Most of the buildings have been here over 200 years. Little has changed since the heyday of Britain's canals.

Picnic spot:

Trails:

Wildlife spotting:

There are lots of ducks here for the kids to feed (although, remember not to feed them bread!) And there's also a wonderful woodland walk nearby with interpretation panels and woodland statues along the path. And did we mention pond dipping? Find our how with our nature spotter's guide.

Getting here

By car - follow the brown signs from the A508. We've a small pay and display car park:

fee £2.50 for up to 4 hours

special parking charges may apply on event days

disabled parking - there is a disabled bay between the canal bridge and bus stop on Bridge Road

By rail - Northampton and Milton Keynes are the nearest train stations

By bus - there are new bus routes that will bring you to Stoke Bruerne from Northampton and Milton Keynes

By bike - we’re a very bicycle-friendly here (just remember to share the space of course). You'll find dedicated bicycle parking, free water refills in our cafe and puncture repair kits in our shop (we hope you won't need to buy one though!)

Local news & events

There's events for everyone at the Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne. From our very popular Village at War event - the highlight of our year - to floating markets, workshops and themed weekends, and lots more...